


Goodbye

by wolfkissed



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt, Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29107014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfkissed/pseuds/wolfkissed
Summary: Ellie and Riley's final moments together.
Relationships: Ellie/Riley (The Last of Us)
Kudos: 8





	Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Option Three", a comic by 'Be brave & be kind' on Tumblr  
> https://critter-of-habit.tumblr.com/post/174989544095

Ellie looked down at her bite mark for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, and it was only early in the morning. 

Riley had made it clear, not long after the two of them had gotten bitten, that she wasn't a fan of taking the 'easy way out' – despite it being quick and painles. She wanted to spend every moment she had, with Ellie. So the two of them agreed to wait it out, until their bodies succumbed to the infection. 

The two had stayed in the mall for almost three days, and symptoms of the bite were starting to show, though only in Riley. Ellie's best friend had begun to snap a lot over the past day and would twitch occasionally, and in the past couple of hours, she had also grown increasingly violent, though she tried her best to attack anything but Ellie. 

All of it scared Riley, and confused her best friend. Riley was slowly losing her mind, and yet, her friend showed no signs of turning? 

🌿 

Ellie returned to her friend's side and wrapped an arm around her, frowning slightly. She remained silent for several moments before speaking, not liking how quiet it was. 

"It'll be ok. Maybe.. maybe it's just taking it's time..." she murmured softly, though she didn't sound very convincing. Maybe this was the end. But why? Why did she have to suffer and not her? Was this the world's way of torturing her? 

Her mind stopped wondering when Riley started twitching again, and yelped when she turned around and tried to attack her. 

"Riley!" Ellie shrieked, "Riley, stop!" 

It took a few more shouts before Riley's eyes widened and she pushed her Ellie before scrambling backwards. 

"I– I'm sorry..! Shit... you need to go." 

"What?" 

"I don't want to hurt you, Ellie. Please.. look it's clear that you're not going to turn... for whatever reason... and I– I don't want you to have to..." Riley went quiet, not finishing her sentence, but it was clear what she was going to say. She didn't want Ellie to kill her when she did turn. She didn't want to put her best friend through that. 

Ellie looked down at the gun that had been kicked to the side when Riley attacked her and frowned. "I don't want to leave you here, by yourself. It's like you said. I want to spend every second we have, with you." She hesitated briefly before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips that lasted only mere moments. "Don't– don't make me leave you here." 

"Ellie I'm sorry, but it's for your own safety. I've already attacked you once... I don't want to do that again. Please... go. Go back to Marlene and the others." Riley stood up and held out her arm, pulling Ellie up when she grabbed onto her hand. "I'll be fine." She forced a small smile, and gave her one final hug, before Ellie began to scale the scaffolding, up to the roof of the mall. She took one final look down at Riley and mouthed a silent 'Goodbye' before leaving, tears rolling down her cheeks and a hand over her stomach, suddenly feeling nauseous. 

🌿 

Riley watched Ellie leave, and her gaze turned to the gun on the floor when her best friend was out of view. She frowned at the sight of it, but picked it up, tears forming in her eyes as she looked down at it. 

Her hands shook, and she eventually turned away and walked through the mall, deciding to spend as much time as she had remembering the adventures – and the little moments – she had shared with Ellie. She recalled the first time they met at that stupid military school, and stealing her walkman; the exact walkman that had been the cause of their bites and thus, their separation. 

She should have been more careful... not played the music so loud, without checking first for infected. She was reckless – they both were, and they paid the price for that recklessness. 

"I'm sorry, Ellie," Riley murmured aloud, despite the fact her friend could not hear her apology, wherever she was now. Hopefully safe with the Fireflies. 

🌿 

Ellie stopped outside the entrance to the Firefly hideout, hesitating for a few moments before knocking on the door. Fortunately, Marlene answered – she wasn't sure how she was going to explain the bandage that had been quickly wrapped around her arm to anyone else who may have answered. 

However, it seemed Marlene had more than that on her mind as she suddenly frowned. 

"Ellie... why are you here, and where is Riley?" She asked. 

Ellie didn't answer. Shouldn't the answer be obvious? However, she didn't want to say it out loud; didn't want to admit her best friend and crush was gone. 

"Ellie?" Marlene asked again. 

When Ellie remained silent, Marlene sighed softly and took a step forward. 

"Dead.." Ellie mumbled weakly. 

"What?" 

"Riley is.... is dead..." she said, louder this time, before beginning to sob. 

Ellie wasn't paying attention from then on, as Marlene took her inside, to an empty room where she could rest, before leaving – most likely to get her some food. But she wasn't hungry. She wanted to be left alone. She walked over to the bed and sat against the wall with her knees up to her chest and tear-stained cheeks. 

She buried her face in her knees, the tears having stopped, replaced by a million thoughts racing through her mind and she fiddled with the ring and pinkie finger on her right hand – a habit she'd had for as long as she could remember. 

Had Riley turned? Was she still suffering? 

Had she resorted to the "easy way out"? 

Had clickers or runners found her? 

More questions followed as the sun slowly began to disappear behind the horizon, leaving her room with little light as she moved from her seated position to lying down under the thin blankets on her bed. 

"I'm sorry Riley..." she whispered. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you..." were the last words that left her mouth before she dozed off, hearing the door open but lacking the energy to see who was there.


End file.
